Key stakeholders in Australia’s social media age assurance trial frozen out amid media leaks and resignations

Reports that tests of social media facial age estimation technology had estimated a 16-year-old being as old as 37 have been downplayed by the age assurance technology trial. Photograph: Rick Rycroft/AP

The organisation behind the age assurance technology trial that will inform how to keep under-16s off social media has frozen out key stakeholders amid media leaks and resignations of two members.

The trial’s Iain Corby has also downplayed reporting about inaccuracies with the facial estimation technology – one of the technologies tested in the trial – arguing that it can still be used even if it is out by seven years.